Does Silver Jewellery Tarnish? - What you need to know!

Does sterling silver tarnish? Clients and silver jewellery owners commonly ask this question about their precious collection of sterling silver jewellery, which is usually followed by the next question "if it does tarnish, then is it inferior or poor quality silver?".

I was recently asked both these questions by a new client, who was surprised by my honest answer.

"The first thing to acknowledge is that sterling silver does tarnish over time, and it is natural for this to occur. I can understand how someone could be disappointed when you get your sterling silver necklace, ring or another piece of jewellery out only to find that it has discoloured since the last time you wore it." - Ian St Leon Jewels of St Leon.

Imagine my surprise when I googled the question myself, and my research found many conflicting responses to this question "Does Sterling Silver Tarnish?". I wondered why there was so much confusion surrounding this question when I thought finding the answer to this question would be easy. So let's look into how we can help you keep your sterling silver jewellery shining bright.

To keep your sterling silver jewellery shining bright, we need to know what sterling silver is.

 

Sterling silver is an alloy and the standard international form of all jewellery made from silver. It is a mixture of 92.5% fine silver, pure silver and 7.5% another metal, usually copper. The 92.5 to 7.5 percentage mix is used to harden and strengthen silver. It requires the addition of another metal, and the use of these metals allows sterling silver to tarnish. Silver, in its purest form, usually will not tarnish; however, it would be too soft for creating jewellery and would be unable to withstand the day-to-day wear and tear that jewellery experiences.

To ensure quality, jewellery, spoons and other items made from sterling silver are stamped with a hallmark of "925" or "STERLING". This represents the quantity of silver (for example, 925/1000 of pure silver) in the item or piece of jewellery. This guarantees the buyer that it has been created with genuine sterling silver when purchasing from reputable dealers in-store and online.

Many factors cause sterling silver to tarnish; some pieces may tarnish within weeks, while others may take decades or never tarnish. So does this mean that a piece of jewellery with some discolouration within a week or two is inferior?

The simple answer is No. There are many reasons for sterling silver jewellery to begin to tarnish, from the moisture and dust in the air to the sweat and oil from our skin to chemical reactions from cleaning and beauty products; these can all contribute to the tarnishing process accelerating.

Tarnish is a natural process and actually protects the mixed metal(s). The fact that Sterling silver may tarnish is a part of owning jewellery. Tarnish is not rust; sterling silver does NOT rust; if your jewellery becomes rusty, it is not sterling silver.

If you purchase from a reputable dealer online or in-store, check that your jewellery is stamped with either the "925" or "STERLING" hallmark. If it is, you have purchased genuine sterling silver, and it has been crafted to the accepted international standards.

As an example, a couple of years ago, a prominent luxury jewellery brand had customers complaining that within five to ten days, their new sterling silver jewellery was tarnishing and was fake. However, the fact is that the jewellery was authentic, and yes, it did tarnish within a short period. But many factors contributed to the jewellery tarnishing, such as chemical reactions to beauty and cleaning products, excess moisture nearby, and particles from dust and other contaminants.

If your sterling silver jewellery does tarnish, then the fact is that it is genuine sterling silver, it just needs a cleaning, and it will sparkle bright once more.

A few effortless routines can help you slow the process of tarnish occurring.

1. Put silver jewellery on last - When we add jewellery first, then apply deodorants, body sprays, perfume and creams, we expose our jewellery to these chemicals. They can interact with the metals in your jewellery and speed up the process. Always put your jewellery on after you are dressed and ready.

2. Take your jewellery off - This might sound like a strange one. Still, we always recommend that clients remove jewellery for the following reasons.

• Gardening is one of the easiest ways to get dirt and grime on your jewellery.
• Showering, Washing Dishes and Cooking, apart from the possibility that a ring may disappear down a drain with soapy water, and limiting the amount of water and chemical reduces the chance for it to tarnish.
• Exercising or working out - By removing your jewellery while exercising, you limit the jewellery's exposure to sweat and oils from your skin, pollen, dust and other airborne contaminants.

• Before you do anything else, take the time to inspect your jewellery for damage, loose stones and the type of stones that are set into your jewellery. Some care is required for jewellery with porous stones like pearls, turquoise and opals.

 
After carefully inspecting your jewellery, it is time to clean it. You will need two small bowls of warm water, one containing a small amount of dish soap, a toothbrush, a soft cloth for drying and your Jewels of St Leon polishing cloth.
 
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